18th century Italian fragment mounted with a calcite crystal cluster in matrix and sitting on an antique Italian glass bobeche base.
This fragment is from a church in Florence. It was found and saved from the historic flooding of the Arno River in 1966. The piece has been naturally distressed from the flood.
The calcite crystal cluster in matrix comes from the Elmwood Mine in Tennessee. It is an example of the world's finest crystallized calcite (referenced from the "American Mineral Treasure" book, pg. 337).
The story and history of this piece and Interi's collection of Florence fragments, in particular, are very interesting. These fragments have been used for artists and designers alike to copy for the distressed aesthetic, but here is an original.
The Florence Fragment Collection exhibited with the Museo de’ Medici this autumn. The Museo de' Medici or “the Medici Museum” is located in the monumental Rotonda Brunelleschi which was designed in 1432 and built by Filippo Brunelleschi, a famous Italian architect who also built the Florence dome. He is also considered a founding father of Renaissance architecture. The Museo de’ Medici is devoted to preserving the history of the Medici family and exhibiting precious collections of works of art, historical relics, original documents, faithful reconstructions and multimedia installations.
“I am honored to present this collection with the Museo de’ Medici with the city where the pieces found their origin and precious history,” says Jean O'Reilly Barlow, the artist and founder of Interi. “This collection is to honor the history of Florence and to show the beauty and resilience the city holds. It is the birthplace of the renaissance and this collection pays tribute to the rebirth after the flood.”
While many fragments are distressed due to age, these Florence fragments in particular stand apart. They symbolize a history that has been carried through the flood, to the Italian store house, collected by the Interi studio, shown in the museum, and now can be purchased for the modern home or gallery.
Height: 7.5" high x 3.5" round
